After Tom presented the awards to the most exceptional employees of the year, and the formal dinner was over, they all rose to proceed to the next hall for socializing and partying.
Sonia looked at Lucy, Candace, and Jade, "Powder time, girls. Why don't we go to the ladies?" she suggested with a sweet smile.
Lucy turned to Tom, "I think we are about to have a meeting," she whispered into his ears, and he chuckled.
"Have fun," he said as he kissed her and she rose to leave with Sonia.
"Yeah. I was going to suggest that myself, let's go," Jade said before turning to Harry.
"I'll be right back," she said, gave her a pointed look.
"Don't cause any trouble," he said, and she scowled.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means I know you have a penchant of causing trouble. Don't stir any," Harry repeated before turning to Candace.
"Don't let her influence you," he advised, and Candace smiled.
"I can take care of myself," Candace assured him as she let Jade take her hand.
"I will come with you ladies," Aurora said before looking at Philip who seemed to not want her out of his sight for a moment since she told him she was leaving on Sunday.
"I will be right back," she said with a grin, and he kissed her hand as he let her to hurry after them.
"Don't you want to go with them?" Matt asked Gemima as the ladies walked away while they rose to head for the party hall with the others.
Gemima giggled, "Are you kidding me? They're obviously going there because they want to plot against me, the bitch who is stealing their friend's man. I won't be surprised if one or more of them tries to get me away from you so that she would have some time alone with you to give you a piece of her mind," Gemima said with an amused smile and Matt raised a brow.
"You think so?" Matt asked and she grinned.
"I know so. I would do that too if she were my friend and you showed up with someone else. I like them. I could use friends like them if I were not too busy playing the role of bad bitch tonight," Gemima said with a giggle but Matt was beginning to worry now.
"On second thought, I should probably join them. I will like to see what they plan to do," Gemima said as she excused herself from Matt and headed in the direction of the restroom.
"Are you avoiding me?" Matt asked as he tried to catch up with Bryan who was walking ahead of him.
"Yes. I don't want to be guilty by association. Why will I talk to you and risk getting on their bad books? In case you didn't notice, they are all pissed. I can't risk Sonia seeing me chatting with you and thinking I'm okay with the fact that your brought Gemima here with you," Bryan said with displeasure.
"Why not? I have the right to bring someone else along with me to a social gathering," Matt said matter of factly.
"Someone you have a history with?" Bryan asked with a scowl.
"So it would have been best if I brought someone new? I thought you were supposed to have my back as my best friend?" Matt asked, and Bryan raised a brow.
"Well, it's time for you to have my back. In case you have forgotten, Sonia is crazy, and she is pretty scary when she's mad. I can't have her mad at me right now," Bryan said before walking away from Matt.
He could never forget the time Sonia had opened her door to him brandishing a knife at him because she thought he was Derek.
"Hi!" Harry greeted with a grin, and Matt turned to him.
"You are not about to bite my head off for bringing someone else with me too, are you?" Matt asked, and Harry chuckled.
"Why should I? You are allowed to bring your plus one to the party. Last time I checked, you were not dating Candace, or are you?" Harry asked, and Matt did not know how to respond to that so he said nothing.
"I heard you were at my apartment yesterday," Harry said, and Matt nodded.
"Yes. To see Jamal."
"I see," Harry drawled, and something about the way he looked at Matt, made Matt uncomfortable.
"That I don't get along with Candace doesn't mean I don't get along with the kid," Matt said defensively and Harry smiled.
"You don't get along with her? That wasn't what I heard," Harry said, and Matt raised a brow.
"What then did you hear?" Matt asked, and Harry shrugged.
"Nothing that should concern you. I just stopped by to say hello to you. As long as you're not involved with my sister, you're free to do whatever you want with whenever you want. I plan to introduce her to a couple of nice guys anyway," Harry said, and walked away without waiting for Matt to respond.
Why was everyone overreacting? It wasn't like he had kissed Gemima or introduced her to them as his girlfriend.
They all knew Candace had been the one who rejected him, so why was everyone acting like he was the jerk here? Perhaps it was time to speak with Candace privately.
Away from there, once the ladies walked into the ladies room, Sonia shut the door while Lucy and Aurora walked over to Vanity mirror to powder their faces as Jade turned to Candace.
"What do you plan to do about that?" Jade asked, and Candace raised a brow.
"About what?" She asked nonchalantly as she went to join Lucy and Aurora.
"About Matt and that girl. You have been glaring at them all evening," Lucy said without looking away from the mirror.
"See that? Even Lucy who usually does not take note of such things noticed it! It doesn't take a genius to know you're very much interested in Matt. So why not cut out the drama and get him?!" Sonia exclaimed, and Aurora turned to them in amusement.
"I thought you were with him earlier today. What happened?" Jade asked, and Candace glared at her, while the others looked at Candace with interest.
Someone knocked on the door and Sonia turned impatiently, "It's currently undergoing maintenance," Sonia called out to the person and faced Candace.
"So, you were with Matt today? What happened?" Sonia asked, and Candace let out an exasperated sigh.
"No, I wasn't! Can you all just focus on powdering your faces and let me handle my business myself?" Candace asked but Jade and Sonia were having none of it.
"I could barely enjoy my dinner because of you. You want us to let you handle your business yourself? Fine. But you have to tell us how you intend to do so. Is it by looking like a wounded puppy all night?" Jade asked, and Candace glared at her.
"You didn't enjoy your dinner because you don't know how to mind your business! That's not my fault. And if that's how I choose to handle my business, then leave it be!" Candace snapped at her.
Seeing that everyone was becoming upset, Lucy set aside her powder and faced Candace. She placed a hand on Candace's shoulder to calm her.
"I understand you don't like having anyone in your business, but we all really care about you. If you insist that we should back off, we will. But if there's something you think we can do to help, then tell us," Lucy said, and then gave Sonia a pointed look to keep shut when she started opening her mouth to speak again.
Aurora smiled as she watched them. They were an interesting group, and she hoped they wouldn't mind including her in their cycle.
"Can I say something?" Aurora asked politely, and they all turned to her.
"Candace you don't have to be pissed. I think it's a sweet thing that they all care about you and want to help. Although, I don't know anything about your history with Matt, but everyone on that table noticed you were visibly upset by the presence of Gemima on the table. It's the same way I noticed you were pissed when I kept going on and on about Harry despite Jade's visible distress that day. It's what friends do. So, like Lucy said, if there's something you think we can do, maybe distract her so you can have a moment alone with him, or wreck her dress so she has to leave, you can say it," Aurora said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"Maybe distracting her would work, but no one is ruining anyone's dress tonight," Lucy said before the others could buy into the idea.
"Gee! Thanks for saving my dress," Gemima who had been standing outside the door and listening to them, called back to Lucy.
They all turned to the door, and Sonia walked over to yank it open. She scowled when she saw Gemima, "Apart from stealing other people's men, you eavesdrop as well?" Sonia asked, and Candace rolled her eyes.
"Can you cut it out, Sony?" Lucy asked, and flashed Gemima an apologetic smile.
"Please pardon us…"
"Are you dating Matt?" Aurora asked Gemima curiously before Lucy could finish her apology.
"He introduced me as his friend, didn't he?" Gemima asked in amusement as she walked passed them to the vanity mirror to powder her face.
Candace scoffed, "What sort of friends screws each other?" Candace asked under her breath, but everyone heard her.
"How about, friends with benefit?" Gemima asked, and Candace's heart skipped a beat at that.
Was she also Matt's friend with Benefit? Or did she say that only because Matt had told her about their agreement? Candace mused.
"So, you admit that you're sleeping with him?" Jade asked with a scowl.
"I don't understand why you're all upset. It's not like Matt is taken or anything," Gemima said, turning to look at Candace incredulously.
"That something is not taken doesn't mean it is available for just anyone," Sonia hissed at her, and Gemima giggled without looking at them.
"I see. I will keep that in mind. But if you ask me, you can't expect someone like Matt to stay unattached forever. I think if she really wants to be with him, she would do what it takes to get him instead of glaring and glowering at me like I'm the enemy. It might be me today, and another girl by his side tomorrow. How many girls are you going to glare at?" Gemima asked as she applied her lipstick, and once she was done she walked away leaving them.
Neither of them said a word for a while after she left, and then Candace took out her phone from her bag when it vibrated with a text notification.
Her heart skipped a beat as she clicked on it when she saw it was a text from Matt, [Meet me at the underground parking lot.]
Candace sighed, "I appreciate your concern. But I will handle my business myself. Please, excuse me," Candace said before walking away.
"Well, if you ask me I think Gemima has a point. If Candace wants him, she would do what she has to do," Aurora said quietly.
"Maybe she needs a little push to do what she has to do," Jade pointed out.
"Maybe she doesn't. Maybe what she needs is to be left alone to handle things her own way. Candace looks capable to me. Can we get back to the party now that the meeting is over?" Lucy asked hopefully.
"Did she really meet with Matt today?" Sonia asked the most important question on her mind.
"Although she didn't admit it, I think so," Jade said as they all walked out of the ladies room.
It took Candace a couple of minutes to find the underground parking lot and once she got there, she looked around trying to find Matt because lots of cars were parked there.
Matt who was hidden behind some of the cars, waved to her the moment he saw her and she approached him, looking every bit as pissed as she had been earlier in the hall.
The moment she opened her mouth to speak, Matt pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss was slow and intense at the same time, bringing to mind all the memories of that afternoon, and causing lust to surge within her.
"I've been wanting to do that all night. Now can you tell me why you have been glaring at me all night? And what was that text about," Matt asked with an innocent smile that had her blinking at him in confusion as he pulled back.
Candace tried to clear her head to remember what she had been going to say, and once she did she glared at him, and Matt tried not to chuckle when she swiped her hand over her lips as though to wipe off his lips.
"Our arrangement won't work. We had an agreement and you defaulted…"
"What was our agreement?" Matt asked calmly.
"You agreed not to see anyone else while our arrangement stands," Candace reminded him in annoyance.
"So, how did I default?" Matt asked reasonably.
"Are you asking me that? How can you ask me that when you're the one who brought a lady here with you?"
"That a lady came here with me doesn't mean I'm romantically involved with her. I couldn't possibly come here alone. She's just a friend."
"With benefit! Do I look stupid to you? Wasn't she the same lady who kissed you at the cafe? Was she not the one you fucked?" Candace asked angrily, and Matt sighed.
"I should never have told you that. Now I'm going to regret it forever," Matt said, and Candace slapped his arm.
"Is that the point right now? Do I look like someone you can two-time? You come in here with one lady and sneak another into the parking lot to make out with you after ignoring her all night…."
"First of all, I'm not two-timing anyone. Gemima knows I have no interest in her. She wanted to come here tonight and begged I take her along with me. Secondly, I didn't sneak you here. I called you out here because you made it clear you didn't want anyone else to know what was going on between us. And in order to speak with you privately, I asked we meet here. And finally, I only kissed you, I didn't make out with you even if I'd love to," Matt corrected as he swept a glance over her dress.
"Are you going to deny ignoring me too?" Candace asked irritably.
"Need I remind you that I'm an actor, Candace? You asked us to keep things between us a secret, didn't you? Do you want this affair to be a secret or not? I could ask Gemima to go home right now and spend the rest of the evening by your side," Matt said, and Candace huffed.
"That doesn't explain why you ignored my text or kept laughing and smiling at everything she said," Candace hissed, and Matt resisted the urge to laugh.
"For someone who wants a secret affair, don't you think you're being too obvious? If I had responded to your text everyone would have noticed the exchange of texts between us and known something was going on. I'm trying to keep my end of the deal but you're not being helpful. Because of you everyone thinks I'm a jerk," Matt complained.
"I'm being too obvious? I'm not being helpful? Alright. If you think it's okay for you to bring someone else to a party you knew I'd be attending, then I hope you don't mind watching me socialize with other men as well, because that's what I intend to do when I return in there," Candace warned, and Matt raised a brow.
"You can't do that, Candace. That's different…."
"Really? How so? Please tell me," Candace said as she crossed both arms in front of her and waited for his explanation.
"I'm a man. I can control myself and turn down sexual advances…."
"And because I'm a woman, I'm weak and can not do that?" She cut in sarcastically.
"No. I mean that's not the case for the other men you might socialize with," Matt said, and she rolled her eyes.
"How do I know you're not going to take her back to your place and have sex with her after the party?" Candace asked and Matt sighed with exaggerated patience.
"I'm not interested in her. You're the one I'm interested in," Matt said and Candace gave him a pointed look.
"I don't care what you past relationship with her is. I don't want to see you with her anymore, Matt. If I can go to a party alone, then so can you. The moment I get back in there, I'm going to dance and flirt with every single available man in the room. That's what you get for pissing me off and making me look stupid on that table. I'm not going to share you with anyone. It's either you're in or not. If this happens again, we are done," Candace said, and brushed her lips against his before cat-walking away.
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